Methods and systems for providing mobile subscriber surveillance

• US 6,901,262 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tekelec Global, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tekelec
• Inventors: Marsico, Peter Joseph, Allison, Rick L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D.
• Application Number:
  US10/115,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456, 455/457, 342/457, 342/450, 600/504
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/80 Arrangements enabling lawful interception [LI]

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing mobile subscriber surveillance identify certain call signaling messages as candidate messages for mobile subscriber surveillance. From the candidate messages, messages associated with mobile subscribers under surveillance are identified. Mobile subscriber location information is obtained for the messages associated with the mobile subscribers under surveillance. The location information is forwarded to a surveillance center, such as a state or federal law enforcement or security agency. The original call signaling messages are forwarded to their intended destinations so that surveillance is performed transparently to the mobile subscriber under surveillance.

Claims

1. A method for providing mobile subscriber location information to a surveillance center, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a first signaling message in a wireless communications network;

(b) determining whether the first message is associated with a mobile subscriber under surveillance by comparing subscriber identification information extracted from the first message with mobile subscriber surveillance watch list information stored in a database;

(c) in response to determining that the first message is associated with a mobile subscriber under surveillance, obtaining location information regarding the mobile subscriber; and

(d) forwarding the location information to a surveillance center.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a first message includes receiving a MAP update location message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a first message includes receiving an RRLP measure position response message.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a first message includes receiving a GPRS mobility management message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the first message is associated with a mobile subscriber under surveillance includes extracting a mobile subscriber identifier from the first message and performing a lookup in a table containing identifiers associated with mobile subscribers under surveillance using the mobile subscriber identifier.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein performing a lookup using the mobile subscriber identifier comprises performing a lookup using an international mobile subscriber identifier (IMSI) extracted from the first message.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein performing a lookup using the mobile subscriber identifier comprises performing a lookup using a mobile station ISDN number (MSISDN) extracted from the first message.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein performing a lookup using the mobile subscriber identifier includes performing a lookup using an IP address extracted from the first message.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining location information includes extracting the location information from the first message.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining location information includes querying a mobile location center for the location information.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining location information includes querying an HLR for the location information.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding the location information to a surveillance center includes formulating a second message including the location information and sending the second message to the surveillance center over a network.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed at an SS7 signal transfer point.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed at an SS7/IP gateway.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed at an HLR.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed at a mobile location center (MLC).

18. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed at a mobile switching center (MSC).

19. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed at a GPRS support node.

13. A method for providing mobile subscriber location information to a surveillance center, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a first signaling message in a wireless communications network;

(b) determining whether the first message is associated with a mobile subscriber under surveillance;

(c) in response to determining that the first message is associated with a mobile subscriber under surveillance, obtaining location information regarding the mobile subscriber;

(d) forwarding the location information to a surveillance center, wherein performing steps (b)-(d) includes copying the first message, performing steps (b)-(d) on the copied message, and forwarding the original message to its intended destination, thereby performing surveillance processing transparently to the mobile subscriber under surveillance.

20. A triggerless location services routing node, the routing node comprising:

(a) a screening module for receiving call signaling messages and identifying call signaling messages as mobile subscriber surveillance candidate messages;

(b) a location notification module operatively associated with the screening module for receiving call signaling messages identified as surveillance candidate messages, determining whether the surveillance candidate messages are associated with mobile subscribers under surveillance, obtaining location information for the mobile subscribers under surveillance, and forwarding the location information to a surveillance center; and

(c) a mobile subscriber surveillance database associated with the location notification module for storing surveillance watch list information usable by the location notification module for identifying call signaling messages associated with mobile subscribers under surveillance.

21. The routing node of claim 20 wherein the screening module is adapted to identify MAP location update messages as mobile subscriber surveillance candidate messages.

22. The routing mode of claim 20 wherein the screening module is adapted to identify RRLP measure position response messages as mobile subscriber surveillance candidate messages.

23. The routing node of claim 20 wherein the screening module is adapted to identify GPRS mobility management messages as mobile subscriber surveillance candidate messages.

24. The routing node of claim 20 wherein the screening module is adapted to identify IS-41 registration messages as mobile subscriber surveillance candidate messages.

25. The routing node of claim 20 wherein the screening module comprises an SS7 gateway screening module.

27. The routing node of claim 20 wherein the location notification module is adapted to extract mobile subscriber identification information from the call signaling messages and to perform a lookup in the mobile subscriber surveillance database to determine whether the surveillance candidate messages are associated with mobile subscribers under surveillance.

28. The routing node of claim 27 wherein the mobile subscriber identification information includes an international mobile subscriber identifier (IMSI).

29. The routing node of claim 27 wherein the mobile subscriber identification information includes a mobile station ISDN (MSISDN) number.

30. The routing node of claim 27 wherein the mobile subscriber identification information includes an IP address.

31. The routing node of claim 20 wherein the location notification module is adapted to extract or calculate the mobile subscriber location information from received mobile subscriber surveillance candidate messages associated with mobile subscribers under surveillance.

32. The routing node of claim 20 wherein the location notification module is adapted to query a mobile subscriber location database to obtain the mobile subscriber location information.

33. The routing node of claim 20 wherein the location notification module is adapted to formulate a mobile subscriber location message and forward the mobile subscriber location message to a surveillance center over a network.

34. The routing node of claim 20 wherein the mobile subscriber surveillance database includes mobile subscriber identifiers and corresponding surveillance center identifiers for mobile subscribers under surveillance.

35. The routing node of claim 34 comprising a provisioning interface for updating the mobile subscriber and surveillance center identifiers in the mobile subscriber surveillance database.

36. The routing node of claim 35 wherein the provisioning interface is accessible by authorized surveillance center personnel.

37. The routing node of claim 35 wherein the provisioning interface is accessible by authorized mobile telecommunications service provider personnel.

38. The routing node of claim 20 wherein the screening module, the location notification module, and the mobile subscriber surveillance database comprise computer programs and data stored in memory on an SS7 link interface module.

39. The routing node of claim 20 wherein the screening module, the location notification module, and the mobile subscriber surveillance database comprise computer programs and data stored in memory on an SS7/IP data communications module.

26. A triggerless location services routing node, the routing node comprising:

(a) a screening module for receiving call signaling messages and identifying call signaling messages as mobile subscriber surveillance candidate messages;

(b) a location notification module operatively associated with the screening module for receiving call signaling messages identified as surveillance candidate messages, determining whether the surveillance candidate messages are associated with mobile subscribers under surveillance, obtaining location information for the mobile subscribers under surveillance, and forwarding the location information to a surveillance center; and

(c) a mobile subscriber surveillance database associated with the location notification module for storing information for identifying mobile subscribers under surveillance, wherein the screening module is adapted to forward the call signaling messages to their intended destinations and to forward copies of the candidate messages to the location notification module, thereby performing surveillance processing transparently to the subscribers under surveillance.

40. A signal transfer point comprising:

(a) a link interface module for sending and receiving call signaling messages in a wireless communications;

(b) a screening module operatively associated with the link interface module for identifying predetermined call signaling messages as candidate messages for mobile subscriber surveillance processing, copying the candidate messages, and forwarding the original messages to their intended destinations; and

(c) a mobile subscriber location notification module operatively associated with the screening module for receiving the copied messages associated with mobile subscribers under surveillance, obtaining location information for the mobile subscribers under surveillance, and forwarding the location information to a surveillance center.